Dr. Arsalan Baiz, President of the Kurdistan Parliament, received a delegation from the Austrian Social Democratic Party on May 3, 2012, which included Ms. Christine Muttonen, a Member of the Austrian Parliament, and Mr. Sebastien Schublach, from the Social Democratic Party Renner Institute, and Mr. Hamakarim Shekha, PUK Representative in Austria.

After welcoming the delegation, the President of the Parliament gave a brief summary of the history of the Kurdish struggle and the injustices suffered by the Kurdish people. He stated that through their strong will and steadfastness, the people of Kurdistan were able to realize their hopes and aspirations with the establishment of their own parliament and government. The KRG is a model democracy and living example in the region.

Dr. Baiz explained the make-up of the Parliament, which includes representatives of the different ethnic and religious groups living in the Region. He described the peaceful relations between the various communities.

He also pointed out that the democracy in the Region is young and remains in need of support from friends of the Region.

The delegation stated that they looked forward to learning more about the Kurdistan Region and thanked the President of the Parliament for his explanation of the background to the current situation in the area. They also stressed the importance of understanding that the exercise of democracy should be viewed as an ongoing process, which needs to be responsive to the changing needs of its citizens. They commented on the efforts being made in the country toward consolidating the foundations of democracy.